CARPOSPOREJE. 



341 



hyphae of the chamber branches now arise which are directed inwards and form the 

 hymen ium. Each chamber is therefore clothed on its inner surface by a hymenial 

 layer formed of paraphyses and basidia; each of the basidia produces four spores 

 on short stalks. As the Fungus matures, the upper part of the peridium becomes 

 stretched and flat, forming the Epiphragm; it afterwards ruptures and disappears, and 

 the Fungus thus opens into a cup. The mucilage which surrounds the chambers dries 

 up, and the chambers now lie free in the cup formed by the peridium, held by their 

 umbilical bundles, which, when moistened, may be drawn out into long threads. If we 

 imagine the chambers more numerous and more closely packed and with less dense walls, 

 we obtain an explanation of the roundish cell-like loculi which occur in the fructification 

 of other Gasteromycetes (as Octwuiania, Scleroderma, &c.). 



Still more remarkable are the changes produced in the Phalloide89 ^ by internal 

 differentiation of the tissues; but of these only the most important points can be 

 illustrated in the case of Phallus impudicus. Here also the young fructification 

 formed on the underground perennial mycelium is at first a homogeneous convolution 

 of hyphal filaments, in which differentiation begins and advances during growth. 

 When the body has attaineid the size and form of a hen's or even a goose's egg, 

 a longitudinal section gives the appearance represented in Fig. 231. The tissue 

 consists at this time of different portions which may be classified into four groups — 

 (i) The peridium, composed of an outer firm, thick, white membrane («), of an inner 

 white, firm, but thin membrane (z), and of an intermediate thick layer of mucilaginous 

 hyphae {g), (the gelatinous layer) : (2) The spore-forming apparatus or Gleba {sp)y 

 bounded on the outside by the inner peridium (/'), on the inside by a firm thick layer 

 (/) from which walls project outwards united in a honeycomb manner dividing the 

 gleba into a number of chambers. In these chambers the fertile branches of the hyphae 

 are found in great numbers, and on their basidia are formed four or more spores ; so 

 that, when ripe, the dark-green gleba appears to consist almost entirely of spores: 

 (3) The stalk {st), formed of air-containing tissue hollowed into a large number of 

 very narrow chambers; its axial portion is transformed into a deliquescent jelly, and 

 the canal thus formed is open above in some individuals, in others it is closed by 

 the inner peridium : (4) The Cup (n) forms a low broad column of firmer tissue, 

 the outer part running upwards into the inner peridium, and sending up at the same 

 time a layer which becomes softer between the stalk and the inner membrane of 

 the gleba (t) ; the base of the cup is continuous with the outer firm peridium. In 

 this state the spores ripen ; but for the purpose of their dissemination a great elon- 

 gation of the stalk (st) takes place ; the peridium is ruptured at the apex, the gleba 

 becomes detached from the inner peridium, this latter splitting at x, and the mem- 

 brane t becoming detached below. The gleba is by this means raised up high above the 

 peridium on the apex of the stalk, while the stalk attains the height of from 6 to 12 

 inches. This elongation is brought about by the expansion of its chambers, which 

 give the mature stalk the appearance of a coarsely porous sponge ; it increases in 

 thickness in proportion to its increase in length. The spores now drop oflf the gleba 

 in masses, the sporiferous hyphae deliquescing into thick tenacious mucilage ; till at last 

 nothing remains of the gleba but the membrane (t) with its honeycombed walls, which 

 depends like a frill from the apex of the stalk, and is called the pileus. The peculiari- 

 ties in the details of these processes exhibit the greatest variety in different species of the 

 Phalloideae. 



^ [De Bary, Beitr. zur Morphol. u. Physiol, der Pilze, I. 1864.] 



